Posts by Mir Verburg

I have to admit lately I feel very ambivalent when I see everyday activities turned into political statements. One minute you’re shopping for some new undies at Zellers, the next, reading the 3 pack of bamboo bikini cuts that says “Protecting your earth” and thinking, “Is this true - does covering my derriere with bamboo instead of cotton really make a difference?”
The trendier social politics becomes, the harder it is to discern genuine change from … READ MORE

According to today’s Globe and Mail, Skim, one of my favorite comics of the year is up for Governor General’s award. Exciting and wonderful as that is, there is a problem in that the book’s text-author Mariko Tamaki was nominated in the text category, but not the book’s other author and illustrator Jillian Tamaki.
The independent comics community has rallied in support of the Tamakis, writing an open letter to the Governor General, which explains … READ MORE

I am a Victim of H8 is a Facebook photo album created by Gary Shay. Each of the images is of the same slogan, and the idea is that people should tag the images with the names of everyone they know who is negatively affected by Prop 8. Presumably this includes self-tagging.
I am still trying to decide if I should tag myself, since as a Canadian I am not directly affected by the new legislation. … READ MORE

It’s true, “GenderAnalyzer” told me so.
I even took a pic of the form results so there is proof. Next time anyone accuses Shameless of being say… a harpies nest of left-wing feminist reactionaries, we can easily fire back with “yeah but we write like men, so whatever, talk to the pen!”
Apparently I also write like a man, or pick manly topics, or use manly sentence structures, or have a masculine vocabulary? Who really knows (sigh). … READ MORE

According to this Boing-Boing post
Researchers from the U. of Florida found that men who believe in what they call ‘traditional roles for women’ (a woman’s place is in the home, employing wives leads to more juvenile delinquency, etc.) earn more money than men who don’t. The same is not true for women.
notabene: I think by ‘employing wives’ the author does not mean ‘I’m a gonna go out there and hire me a wife’, they mean, … READ MORE

About a month ago, I stopped taking the pill after about 2 years. September hit me like a ton of bricks and I just had so much on the go that I forgot to go and pick up my renewal. When it got to the point that would have to skip a month anyways, I decided to take a hormone vacation and see what happened.
Well, let me tell anyone who has been taking the … READ MORE

Good morning to all you Saturday surfers . Today I’d like to bring some attention to this troubling article from yesterday’s Globe and Mail - Faceless no more: Social networking comes with a price.
The basic premise is one we are familiar with: “Young Canadians share too much information online and they don’t understand the risks involved - or care about their privacy.”
“During a two month-long investigation, The Globe and Mail tracked more than a … READ MORE

From the National Center for lesbian Rights: Community Mourns The Loss of Beloved Civil Rights Leader Del Martin, 87.
Del Martin was instrumental in many civil rights struggles, from the founding of the first social group for lesbians, “Daughters of Bilitis”, in 1955 to her wedding two months ago to long-time partner Phyllis Lyon.
I think it is crucial to remember as we honor Del’s rich and wonderful life, that whether you identify as queer or … READ MORE

Christie Blatchford has an interesting piece in today’s Globe and Mail about the tendency for female athletes to appear in magazines, and sometimes on the cover, nekked. Or at least, naked but for a carefully placed volleyball.
The athlete pictured there is Waneek Horn-Miller, Canada’s Olympic water polo team co-captain.
In the article, Horn-Miller, a Mohawk from Kahnawake, Que had this to say about her appearance on the cover of Canadian Time:
“Look,” she told The Globe and … READ MORE

Mounties pinned me down in cell and tasered me, Manitoba girl says.
Yep you read that right: ‘tasered’. That means a machine named after a comic book hero and meant to be used as an alternative to deadly force when apprehending someone armed or otherwise dangerous was used on an un-armed 16 year old girl, in her cell, BY FOUR COPS WHILE THEY HELD HER DOWN.
Oh sorry, was I yelling?
Tasers are already getting enough bad press … READ MORE

What if you lived by the largest body of fresh water in the world but could no longer afford to use it?
In Liz Miller’s video documentary, The Waterfront, residents of Highland Park, a struggling community on the shores of Lake Michigan are shown looking with distress at water bills totalling between 3 and 9,000 dollars.
One woman sits on a porch with her children and grandchildren and explains that on a fixed pension she will be … READ MORE

This being the last Wednesday before the iPhone’s (insanely over-hyped) release in Canada I thought I’d cover the issues that surround the sleek little 3G hockey puck.
First things first - what exactly is 3G and why is it so important?
3G refers to third generation wireless capability. The little cellfriend you have now is probably (unless you bought it somewhere in Asia where 3G enabled phones are the standard) a 2G machine, which is why when … READ MORE

Joanne Byfield, president of Life Canada, said many people will be offended and appalled if Dr. Morgentaler is honoured.
From: Outrage brews as Ottawa set to honour Morgentaler
Well jeez, many people will also be offended and appalled if they have to deal with abortions performed by shady types at midnight at the local laundromat. So I guess we’re at a bit of a stalemate here eh?
This is a sad story to read on Canada Day.
Comments are … READ MORE

So this is a new charitable organization called Little Geeks: “Little Geeks is a philanthropic organization and registered Canadian charity that collects, refurbishes and re-distributes donated home computers to children in need.” How about that graphic design - like Toys R’Us on poppers. I feel like Joe Matt must have done the illustrations since no-one has eyeballs. Seriously though, “Little Geeks”? I can’t say I like it.
Though it may seem harsh to take shots at … READ MORE

This is one day late for Wired Wednesday, maybe we can call it post-Thursday? For all you Electro fans out there, check out toneShared, it’s a library of ringtones by Electro artists available for free. Yeah that’s right, dump Rihanna and go for Caribou, or if you’re feeling experimental maybe Chris Herbert?
… READ MORE

So this is my first Wired Wednesday post (I forgot it was Wednesday last week, summer’ll do that to you), and in classic Miriam fashion, I want to really stretch the definition of what constitutes a “wired” subject.
See, I just came back from Detroit, where I was attending the Allied Media Conference, and I brought my computer and everything, because I am a technophile (with mild ADHD, natch) and I figured I would spend a … READ MORE

With the Supreme Court becoming more conservative, many people who support women’s right to choose an abortion fear that Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that gave them that right, is in danger of being swept aside.
When such fears arise, we often hear about the pre-Roe “bad old days.” Yet there are few physicians today who can relate to them from personal experience. I can.
Waldo L. Fielding, M.D is a gynecologist who spent the early … READ MORE

So my little brother got married last week, and despite my total and overwhelming love for him and for my new sister-in-law, (and the fact that I was an awesome bridesmaid IMHO) there are moments when I was less then appreciative of the institution of marriage.
I loved their wedding. I loved the seven course Italian meal with scallops and steak (sorry vegetarians, that’s how I roll). And I loved dancing with my cousins to … READ MORE

My name is Miriam and I live in Montreal at the top floor of a very rickety walk-up with a cat and a dog. This summer I will be writing for Shameless on a variety of topics, but primarily on media, technology and young people. Being as this is Shameless Mag, and not some rando tech blog run by a bunch of l33t-speaking programmers who haven’t left their basements in nine years (although they can … READ MORE